Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[Serial_Apologist]

Well if 'PC' is at last becoming all-inclusive surely that is something more logical and comprehensible, Lat? Not that I have noticed the particular change in social attitudes you mention.

Not, also, that I am in favour of protecting the sensibilities of anyone including myself. The price of free expression is the probability of being personally hurt by the comments of others.

IMHO, any curb on 'offensiveness' will inevtably lead to many too scared of expressing their true opinions due to possible sanctions.

My only exception would be incitement to violence against person and property and I readily concede there can be 'grey areas' in such matters which make hard and fast rules somewhat problematic.

Still, we're going way off topic and I'd best resist further chewing on the bait ...

Surely it's better not to be insulting in the first place, then apart from a more civilised society, which I know you really believe in, you won't be so likely to get the violent reaction?

[P. G. Tipps]

Surely it's better not to be insulting in the first place, then apart from a more civilised society, which I know you really believe in, you won't be so likely to get the violent reaction?

Well if someone is successful in advising the "insulters" to behave like thoroughly good eggs and cease their insults that would certainly obviate the need for any laws or even, Heaven forbid, any more forum discussion on the matter, S_A!

However, I also cannot agree with your apparent suggestion that "education" to halt insulting behaviour will necessarily work. That has been tried by religions and other groups since time immemorial and has failed even amongst some of their own adherents.

I am rather more in favour of the Christian instruction to 'turn the other cheek' or the secular equivalent, 'sticks and stones ...' etc, etc.

Both appear to simply recognise an unpalatable feature of Human Nature, S_A, though, of course, insulting (and often self-defeating) behaviour should never, ever, be confused with putting over one's argument strongly and without fear, even if some over-sensitive souls are truly appalled at what they hear (or read!).

[Nick Armstrong]

"Once opened use within 28 days" on e.g. a pot of mustard that would be enough to last a year

Does anyone take any notice of such directions (ok, other than when the product in question contains cream or eggs some such). On mustard??

[teamsaint]

"Once opened use within 28 days" on e.g. a pot of mustard that would be enough to last a year

Does anyone take any notice of such directions (ok, other than when the product in question contains cream or eggs some such). On mustard??

Eating too much mustard goes against the grain.

Hmmmm...makes you wonder if others have missed a trick here.....once started ,please read within one month.......might get turnover up a bit.

( our office divides in two, those in mortal fear of having a product that even approaches its best before date,and those who live well ,for little, as a result......).

[jean]

Suck it up. That's quite a new one, isn't it?

[oddoneout]

Suck it up. That's quite a new one, isn't it?

not if you blame William H Hoover...

[Serial_Apologist]

not if you blame William H Hoover...

Was he known for making vacuous remarks then?

[ahinton]

Was he known for making vacuous remarks then?

Your Dyson with death asking questions like that here!

[Serial_Apologist]

"Disinterested" - used in today's COTW to describe Prokofiev's general non-interest in politics.

You really would think someone at the Beeb would check for such elementary mistakes prior to broadcast.

[vinteuil]

.

... but perhaps not really a mistake, rather a shibboleth which distresses some pedants who perhaps haven't researched deeply enuff. As I read recently : " The first citation for disinterested in the Oxford English Dictionary is in the sense of 'not interested'. It’s from the poet John Donne in 1631, discussing suicide: “If there be cases, wherein the party is disinterested, and only or primarily the glory of God is respected or advanced, it may be lawful.” The earliest OED citation for the sense that the sticklers prefer is from 1659. What seems to have happened is that these meanings coexisted until the 18th century, whereupon the “incorrect” sense went into abeyance before being revived in the 20th century."

[jean]

Yes - I always think it's one of those cases where something is expunged from the language by the pedants, but it knows it's entitled to be there really, and it won't give up & keeps trying to get back in - rather like the double negative.

I like the OED's definition of the first sense it gives:

1. Without interest or concern; not interested, unconcerned...

It goes on:

(Often regarded as a loose use)

but doesn't take sides!

[french frank]

... but perhaps not really a mistake, rather a shibboleth which distresses some pedants who perhaps haven't researched deeply enuff.

But not only pedantry. There are two distinct meanings and misinterpretation is avoided by having two different words. But that could be thought of as 'an adopted custom' rather than 'correct grammar'.

And from jean on the OED:

but doesn't take sides!

As it shouldn't, of course. It is descriptive, not prescriptive. At some point it will document the fact that the two words once had distinct meanings …

[vinteuil]

There are two distinct meanings and misinterpretation is avoided by having two different words..

... I think users of the English language cope with an enormous range of polysemous words without too much trouble : 'disinterested' has been alighted on as a shibboleth by some pedants.

[french frank]

... I think users of the English language cope with an enormous range of polysemous words without too much trouble : 'disinterested' has been alighted on as a shibboleth by some pedants.

That may be true. But then, aren't those who point out the original use of 'disinterested' also pedants? There may even be a delightful je ne sais quoi about pointing out that one's own erudition is superior to the faux (fausse) erudition of others . And so it goes on …

[vinteuil]

... aren't those who point out the original use of 'disinterested' also pedants? There may even be a delightful je ne sais quoi about pointing out that one's own erudition is superior to the faux (fausse) erudition of others . …

... of course I'm a pedant, and proud of it. And few things delight me more than pointing out the weak foundations of others who claim to be pedants but who are superficial in their pedantry.

I wd make one distinction. I never (well, almost never... ) 'correct' or criticize users of the language who commit howlers : I save my criticisms for those who (wrongly, in my view) criticize the usage of others on grounds which I think are unsound. I am a second-degree pedant, a meta-pedant if you like...